Simplify Your Relationships

31 Days and 31 ways to simplify your life, whether or not you have ADHD 🙂

We all have lots of different kinds of relationships with many different people.

You may have a significant other, children, grandchildren, co-workers, friends, neighbors…the list could go on and on.

How in the world do you maintain all of those relationships? Or do you even want to?

Social media can be an excellent tool for meeting new people and maintaining relationships.

For instance, I am in touch with far more of my family than I would be without Facebook and it became a valuable resource for me when my dad was sick.

But social media can quickly become a problem if you’re not careful. I bet each one of us knows someone who put a relationship in danger because of inappropriate behavior on a social media site.

Of course, not all of your relationships take place online.

Your family, friends, and coworkers are all part of your real life.

How do you simplify those relationships while still maintaining them?

Let’s start at the outside of your circle and work inwards.

Coworkers may be just that; someone you work with. Unless you genuinely count them as friends as well, there is no need to socialize with them outside of work, except perhaps that annual holiday get together. Don’t fall into the trap of accepting invitations because you think you should.

Next up is distant family and friends who are more like acquaintances.

Do you genuinely want to spend more time with them, or does it feel like an obligation?

Don’t be afraid to let go of people that you really don’t know well or maybe even like.

Keep in mind the people that you truly care about and want to spend time with; they are the ones who deserve first consideration when it comes to how you spend your time.

I know that we can all get so caught up in our daily lives that we end up maybe losing some friends or slighting some loved ones because we just haven’t taken the time.

Surely you can find an hour or so once or twice a week and use that time to nurture the relationships that matter to you.

Here are some ideas:

Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while and just enjoy the conversation

Buy a cute card or just send a note (not a text) to say that you’re thinking of them

Take someone you want to connect with for coffee or lunch

Make a habit of girls night once a month, or every other month

Don’t forget your significant other – have a date night now and then

Invite someone to go with you while you run errands with the promise of a stop for coffee and conversation